Cardiac services at Griffith threatened, says MP

Mr Piccoli says he has written to Greater Southern Area Health's chief executive Heather Gray asking her to save the critical care and cardiac nurse position.

A petition is also circulating opposing any cuts.

Mr Piccoli says the fly-in specialists who serve Griffith Base are very concerned.

"The cardiac nurse provides a very important back-up service to those cardiologists and they fear that if those back-up services are not being provided, it makes it very difficult for them to practice as well," he said.

Mr Piccoli says the change is about budget pressures.

"The New South Wales Labor Government has got health into such a mess that they're now having to cannibalise the nursing service in order to come in within their budget," he said.

"They're very reluctant to get rid of back office bureaucrats for some reason but seem to have no trouble getting rid of frontline nurses.

"I think it's a disgrace and the community needs to get together and fight this."

However the Greater Southern Area Health Service says the changes will not end cardiac services at Griffith Base.

"I think what we've got to do is have a look at how we deliver those services," western sector manager Ken Hampson said.

"We actually believe that we have got the capacity within the intensive care nursing hours that have been allocated over the period of a year to actually flex up, flex down and still be able to provide that cardiology service."

He says the union raised no dispute when it wrote to the health service about six weeks ago, and false rumours and innuendo have been circulating.